12th Grade 1st Semester Words with Definitions
LIST 1 (Quiz on 8/26)
brazen (adj): marked by contemptuous boldness
culpable (adj): blameworthy; guilty
posthumous (adj): occurring after death
protracted (adj): prolonged in time or space
obsequious (adj.): full of or exhibiting servile compliance; fawning
chagrin (n.): a feeling of uneasiness due to failure, disappointment or a disconcerting event
fathom (tr. v.): to comprehend
sanction (tr. verb) to give approval
callous (adj): emotionally hardened or unfeeling; toughened
defile ( tr. verb): to make filthy or dirty; to pollute
LIST 2 (Quiz on 9/9)
calculated (adj.): made or planned to accomplish a certain purpose; deliberate
fervent (adj.): having or showing great emotion or warmth
dejection (noun): state of great depression
vehement (adj): showing intense feeling or emotion
implausible (adj.): difficult to believe
imminent (adj): about to occur; impending
preposterous (adj.): opposed to reason or common sense; ridiculous
destitute (adj.): lacking resources or the means of substance; impoverished
petulant (adj.): unreasonably irritable or ill-tempered
assimilate (verb): to absorb; to cause to become homogenous
LIST 3 (Quiz on 9/23)
stringent (adj): strict
tarry (v) : to delay or linger
quintessential (adj): the most typical example or representative
curt (adj): sparing of words; terse
grievous (adj): causing sorrow; hard to bear
admonish (v): caution; lightly scold
berate (v): to scold or condemn strongly and at length
redress (n): compensation, as for a wrong
exude (v): to display conspicuously or abundantly (exudes charm); to ooze
reprehensible (adj): deserving reproach or blame
LIST 4 (Quiz on Oct. 7)
glean (v): to gather (as information) bit by bit
havoc (n): great confusion and disorder
disposition (n): one’s usual mood; temperament
emaciated (adj): extremely thin, esp. as a result of starvation
rhetoric (n): verbal communication; discourse; pretentious, insincere language
illicit (adj): unlawful; illegal
elicit (v): to call forth, draw out, or provoke
juxtaposition (n): the act or an instance of placing two or more things side by side
mercurial (adj): characterized by rapid and unpredictable changeableness of mood
mitigate (v): to make less severe or painful
LIST 5 (Quiz on Oct. 21)
pernicious (adj): highly injurious or destructive
plethora (n): profusion; abundance; excess
pundit (n): one who gives opinions in an authoritative manner; a critic
spurious (adj): deceitful
tangential (adj): incidental; peripheral
querulous (adj): habitually complaining; whining; fretful
covet (v): to desire; to wish for enviously
capitulate (v): to surrender; to acquiesce
fastidious (adj): meticulous
conjecture (n): guess work
Kite Runner Vocabulary Lists
List for Quiz #4
mullah (n): a Muslim cleric who specializes in the interpretation of Islamic religious law
salaam (n): a respectful gesture of greeting in Islamic countries (literally, “peace”)
halal (adj): lawful or permissible in reference to food preparation
hadj (n): trip to Mecca made as religious duty
inshallah (n): god willing
agha (n): used as a title for a military commander or important official in Islamic countries
burqa (n): a garment with veiled eyeholes covering the entire body, worn in public by some Muslim
women
loquat (n): a small pear-shaped orange-yellow fruit
chai: spiced tea
tandoor (n): a clay oven used especially in the cuisine of northern South Asia
List for Quiz #5
affluent (adj): wealthy
congenital (adj): existing at birth; ingrained in someone’s character
teeming (adj): to be full of; to have an extremely large number of people, animals or things in a place
unwittingly (adv): without knowing
obstinacy (n): stubbornness; determination
trepidation (n): fear or uneasiness about the future
lumber (v): to move clumsily or heavily
embodiment (n): a tangible or visible expression of an idea or quality
shroud (v): to cover or conceal something
cretin (n): an offensive term for someone considered unintelligent